Understanding the Dilemma of Basic School Teachers on Student Discipline in the Post-Corporal Punishment Era in Ghana
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| Title: | Understanding the Dilemma of Basic School Teachers on Student Discipline in the Post-Corporal Punishment Era in Ghana |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kennedy Nyeseh Ofori, Kwame Bediako Asare |
| Source: | International Education Studies. 2026 19(1):50-62. |
| Availability: | Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1595 Sixteenth Ave Suite 301, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3N9 Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606 Ext 206; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: ies@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ies |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Punishment, Discipline, Elementary Secondary Education, Student Behavior, Discipline Problems, Teacher Attitudes, Intervention, Program Effectiveness, Teacher Competencies, Behavior Modification, Public School Teachers |
| Geographic Terms: | Ghana |
| ISSN: | 1913-9020 1913-9039 |
| Abstract: | Historically, the Ghanaian education system has used corporal punishment to ensure discipline in pre-tertiary schools. The criticism of its effects led, in 2017, to the banning of this form of punishment in schools in Ghana. The rise in cases of indiscipline among students suggests that teachers in pre-tertiary educational institutions do not employ effective alternative measures to promote discipline. This qualitative case study sought to address the following questions: (a) How do teachers view their disciplinary capabilities in the post-corporal punishment period? and (b) How do teachers view the usefulness of alternative disciplinary measures? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. We found that teachers generally felt disempowered in their ability to discipline students in schools because of the absence of corporal punishment. Teachers revealed that learners do not fear or respect them because they know that nothing would happen to them if they flouted school rules and regulations or teachers' directives. Although teachers knew of alternative disciplinary measures, most of them considered them ineffective and time-consuming. Recommendations included the need for capacity-building sessions for teachers to focus on equipping them with knowledge and essential skills in alternative disciplinary strategies to effectively handle students' misbehaviour and to channel their youthful energies to useful ends. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1495037 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Historically, the Ghanaian education system has used corporal punishment to ensure discipline in pre-tertiary schools. The criticism of its effects led, in 2017, to the banning of this form of punishment in schools in Ghana. The rise in cases of indiscipline among students suggests that teachers in pre-tertiary educational institutions do not employ effective alternative measures to promote discipline. This qualitative case study sought to address the following questions: (a) How do teachers view their disciplinary capabilities in the post-corporal punishment period? and (b) How do teachers view the usefulness of alternative disciplinary measures? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. We found that teachers generally felt disempowered in their ability to discipline students in schools because of the absence of corporal punishment. Teachers revealed that learners do not fear or respect them because they know that nothing would happen to them if they flouted school rules and regulations or teachers' directives. Although teachers knew of alternative disciplinary measures, most of them considered them ineffective and time-consuming. Recommendations included the need for capacity-building sessions for teachers to focus on equipping them with knowledge and essential skills in alternative disciplinary strategies to effectively handle students' misbehaviour and to channel their youthful energies to useful ends. |
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| ISSN: | 1913-9020 1913-9039 |
